Rare 1968 2 Cent

G'day,
"... I was at the Bank when a customer handed in a whopping great bag full of coppers & I asked if I could have them. Yeah, no worries, come back in a few days when we've counted them. Went back a couple days later, no go! The Manager vetoed it and they refused to let me have them. Bah! Humbug! ..."

I'm told that there is a long-standing RBA instruction that obsolete coins are to be withdrawn. So, once pre-decimals, 1-c, or 2-c enter a bank, the only way out is the back door. The banks are required to treat the RBA as The-One-True-God.
It seems to me that there is only one way around this: the old-fashioned way ... I am currently researching this option.
Peter

Not all banks are like that. Some people are just a bit up tight.
Banks need to have a $25 bag of copper to send them off , so my bank is only too happy to give out to a collector. Lucky me

I went to the ANZ bank today (not a customer) and they gave me $8 odd of 1s and 2s. I then went to the Commonwealth and they gave me $12.30 of 1s and 2s.

Just go to your local bank and ask them. They will generally be happy to get rid of them.

I have no problems in finding 1968s. I have also found a few 'No SDs'. If I recall correctly, they appear in 1967, 1968 and 198x (something).

Patience is a virtue. Just keep looking.

P.S. Banks change their personnel more often that I change my socks. Go back to the bank each week. Pick a different teller.

I think by out the back door it means, back to the RBA (or Mint) to eventually be destroyed). There is of course I am sure many ways around this it just comes down to finding an amicable teller that is more willing to make their job easy then have to count bag and work with returning them to the RBA.

Not really, it's good economics to recycle those copper cents. At current prices where copper is over 3.50USD/pound, I'm sure the copper cents are worth more than their face value. Not too sure what their specifications are but definately worth more than 1 and 2 cents each.

I tried my bank today but they said they don't have any cents. Should try harder next time

Hi all, in response to a few issues in this topic, I can offer some information.

Firstly, the RAM really only has to issue the mintage figures for the coins they produce at Canberra. The Royal Mint Melbourne Branch struck struck 1 cent coins for 1966, 1967 and 1968 and 1966 2 cent coins, while The Royal Mint Perth Branch struck 1966 1 cent coins and 1967 and 1968 2 cent coins as well as later issues of 2 cents from 1973 to 1983. The RAM did note these mintages but did not have to actually report them. They are listed in the actual Reports of the time.

The missing SD on 2 cent coins can be attributed to some of those struck at The Royal Mint Perth in 1967, 1968 and 1981 and possibly also 1966.

In 1981, 1 cent and 2 cent coins were also struck by The Royal Mint in Llantrisant, Wales.

If you are on the Australian Coins, Banknotes and Tokens Forum you will be able to view postings that show how to determine what coins were minted where by subtle differences on the obverse and/or reverse.

Australian circulation decimal coins have been struck at:

Royal Australian Mint, Canberra
Royal Mint, London (closed around 1975)
Royal Mint, Melbourne (closed 1970)
Royal Mint, Perth (after 1970 became Western Australian Mint, then The Perth Mint {Gold Corp})
Royal Mint, Llantrisant (opened around 1975)
Royal Canadian Mint, Winnipeg

Non-circulating decimal coins were also struck at two private mints:

W. Stokes & Sons, Melbourne (1981-82 for 1982 $10 Commonwealth Games Silver Proof)
A private mint in Sydney (2001 for 2001 $1 Centenary of Army S mintmark unc.)

Hope this helps
Wayne

The 1968 Australian 2 cent is very scarce and comes in a regular issue and a "no SD" issue. The SD are the engravers initials and stand for Stuart Devlin. I've been looking for about ten years since the discovery of this variety and found only one in mint state.

Hi bryan10au and welcome. The SD is on the reverse right at the bottom between the middle set of feet. Some of the coins from 1968 didn't have the initials on them, and these are worth a premium over those with the initials.